Heavy Metal Machines Adds New Competition-Boosting Features with Eye on Creating an Esports Hit

New Matchmaking Features, an Upgraded Bomb and a New Arena aim to Increase Game’s Competitive Profile

Florianópolis BRAZIL, June 9, 2017 – Hoplon, the developers behind the upcoming car-combat MOBA Heavy Metal Machines, have already taken some early steps towards making their fast-paced, yet nuanced action game a good fit for professional-level esports competition by introducing an innovative leaderboards system earlier this year. With some new updates coming in June and July, Hoplon aims to prove that Heavy Metal Machines could be the next great competitive video game to light the esports world ablaze.

Still in open beta stage on Steam, Heavy Metal Machines will introduce big updates in June and July. From a brand new custom match, which allows players to create the kind of competitive game setups that foster high-caliber tactical plays, to a newly improved and powerful Bomb, giving players fresh tricks up their sleeves, this update is sure to enliven the game’s competitive field. There will also be a brand new arena that will speak to the desires of the high-level competitors of Heavy Metal Machines.

New Features Being Rolled Out

The New Bomb – According to games director Aly Lenzi, there were four main objectives Hoplon had in mind when re-imagining the Bomb:

Prioritize fun: “On top of removing the damage per second, which already opened a lot of options to the carrier, we also wanted to expand on player instincts. After observing a great amount of games and analyzing players’ feedback, we decided to invest development efforts into building a very intuitive and visceral ‘pass’ mechanic.”

Focus on the gamer’s intuition: “This was the easiest part to plan, and the hardest to execute. We rebuilt our physics system to allow a real and frightening Bomb. It will influence your movement with its own inertia, forcing carriers to adapt to curves and collisions on the fly. It made carrying a little bit harder than before, but in a very fun and competitive way. You can also use it as a shield against enemies with proper timing, and, at the very last moment, as a weapon!”

Improve visual clarity: “The main way to increase the Bomb’s visibility was by increasing its size. Now, it is as big as a standard vehicle. On top of that, new visual effects were added, including some animations, to really make it ‘pop’.”

Add precision: “We made a core change to the way a player picks up the bomb: instead of just touching it, which could make you grab it by accident, now you will have to hold the pickup key to activate what we are calling The Bomb Grabber. To increase tension and competitiveness, we also added a ‘Struggle’ feature where if two opposing-teams players are trying to pick the Bomb up at the same time, no one will be able to link to it unless one of them is moved farther – or destroyed.”

Custom match – If Heavy Metal Machines is to be considered a viable game by esports pros, it is going to need flexibility and customizability when it comes to setting up matches and tournaments. Lenzi says: “A key selling point for many esports pros and organizers is the ability to host tournaments. This mode allows control of who is in the match, which is crucial to even the crudest forms of competition.”

New Arena – Heavy Metal Machines will be getting a brand new arena that could fundamentally change the way fans play the game. Aly Lenzi explains: “We aim on delivering a different experience with this new arena. While the original stage focused on intersections and shortcuts, the new arena is built to be a very straight-forward race to the finish. We also wanted to add some physical gameplay mechanics, like mud. Overall, it should be easier to navigate, but equally challenging to the carriers. We will also debut a new track concept: bifurcations. Carriers will have more than one path option to follow, which delivers a lot of power to them, but with that power, a lot of responsibility.”

About Hoplon
Founded in 2000, Hoplon is comprised of a one-hundred-person team specializing in video game development, publishing and support services with titles like APB: Reloaded to their credit. Already a fan-favorite in their native Brazil, in mid-2017 Hoplon plans to delight North American audiences with their most ambitious title to-date, Heavy Metal Machines. For more information about Hoplon, please visit www.hoplon.com . To learn more about Heavy Metal Machines, please visit www.heavymetalmachines.com or follow us on Facebook at FB.com/HeavyMetalMachines and on Twitter @HMM_Hoplon_EN.

Matty “MudShovel” Blaine enjoys anime, gaming, comics, music, movies, and so much more. He likes to let his family, friends, and the members of the WoodShed community know his thoughts on these things, and is the main writer and reviewer of the WoodBangers Entertainment website. All articles written that are reviewed by him are his 100% honest opinion because he doesn’t believe in lying to those who trust him. He wants people to know that if that movie or game that all the critics are saying is great is really just overhypes Hollywood-spew or the real deal, so you don’t waste your money and regret seeing or getting something. Remember, he’s not getting paid to be another yes-man. He is not afraid to tell what he honestly thinks and feels about something. If it is great, there will be no doubt about it; if he doesn’t like it, there will be zero doubt there. All reviews are HIS opinion and his opinion alone. They do not express the thoughts of everyone at WoodBangers, nor is he paid to write his reviews. If you disagree with his opinion and thoughts on something, that is fine, you are allowed to have your own opinion. If you take offense to his opinions, then please feel free to leave because he is not here to make everyone happy. He professionally writes and his reviews can be found on IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes, Yelp, IGN, Crunchyroll, and many other sites. Also be sure to follow Matty on Steemit

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